Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1887-06-09
: CEREDO, WAYNE CO., w. VA, THURSDAY JUNE q Iss7

erations of that august body which
mas never been surpassed i'm the an
nuls OF the commonwealth.
What is now West Virginia wa,
there represented Six counties
were then ehcckercd upon tho map
OF Nirginia's western domain and
their representation in that con.
venuon were as follows: From,
Berkeley county, William Darke
and Adam Stephens: from Green.
brier, George Clcndcnnin and John
Stuart; from Hampshire, Andrew
Woodrow and Ralph Humphreys
from Hardy, Isaac VanMatrc and
Abel Seymour; from Harrison
George Jackson and John Prunty
from Monongalia, John Evans ano
William MeClerry; from Ohio
archibald Woods and Ebcnezcr
Zane.
Why has the memory OF those
twelve men been allowed almost tc
pass into oblivioni What an
interesting volume would the record
of their lives be. What a valuabl,
contribution il would he 10 th,
literature of the State. One of them
was the founder of Martinsburp
George Clcndcninin was the found
er OF Charleston; John Stuart wa,
the first permanent white settler IN
the Greenbricr Valley; and Ebcne.
zcr Zane was the founder OF
Wheeling, the defender of For,
Henry, and the builder OF the
National Road from Wheeling 10
Lime Stone, Kentucky.
THE CONVENTION OF 1S2a-30.
In the year 1916 Virginia framed
and adapted a Constitution by
which she was governed for more
than fifty years. 1t was the first
instrument of the kind prepared by
an American State, and was framed
without precedent on either side
OF the Atlantic. 1t was therefore
but natural that in IL should be found
many impcrfections. First among
these were its two distinctive feat
ureS--scctionalism and aristocrncy
both OF which had their origin a
century before the framing Of that
Constitution. The remote cause of
its sectionalism originated in the
year 1901, in the House of Burgesscs
then representing population re-
siding exclusively i'm the Tidewatcr
region, and consequently at that
time homogeneous in its character
and identical in interest. The limi.
tation Of the right Of suffrage 10
Frecholders, which gave it It's aristo-
cratic charter, was imposed on the
colony in 1877. by royal instructions
from Charles H. TO thc Governor
ITO take care that the members OF
the Assembly be elected only by
the Freeholders, as being more
agreeable to the custom Of England: -
to which he might have added and
more agreeable also TO monarchial
institutions. With the increase of
population and organizationof coun-
ties west of the Blue Ridge. the
principle was reversed, and what
was once equal representation now
became unequal representation, for
while many Of the western counties
had a much larger population and
paid into the State Treasury many
times the amount paid by many
eastern counties, and vet the repre-
sentation on the floor Of the General
Assembly was the same.
But that which produced greatest
dissatisfaction was the restriction Of
the right Of suffrage. It's exercise
depended upon property qualifi.
cation and was restricted exclusive.
ly to Freeholders. Under that con.
stltution, thousands Of brave men.
denied by il the inestimable privi-
lcge, formed the Virginia Line dur.
ing the Revolution, and when the
second war with the Briton came.
other thousands marched To- the
field who were treated as aliens in
the land Of their nativity, and that
too, by the very government they
were giving their lives TO defend.
At the first drum-tap Of that war q
company numbering seventy-four
men marched to the field from Cul.
pepper Court House, but two Of
whom had the right Of suffrage. At
the close Of that struggle the bones
Of many brave mon from the hills
and valleys west Of the Alleghenies
lay buried in the sands nt Norfolk
bones Of men who had never cast
ballot--depTived 81 that right be-
cause of its restriction to property
qualification
These with other causes of COM
plant produced great discomfort in
the western part Of the State, and
as early as 1915, the question Of
calling convention 70 revise the
Constitution began 20 be agitated.
but was not until October 4. 1870.
thar the body convened. II was a
remarkable gathering There sa,
James Madison and James Monroe
eX-PTesidents Of the United States.
John Randolph, Of Roanoke. and
many others renowned for their
wisdom and cloQicnce.
The body was composed ofninety.
SIX members, eighteen of whom
were from the territory now en-.
braccd within the limits Of Wes,
Virginia These were William
Mccoy, Of Pendlcton. Andrew
Bgiruc Of Monroe. NVtftf~,.. Git